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Being people of the Cross has dominated my thoughts and study this week. Each Sunday as we move toward Passover and Resurrection Day we are looking at what the Bible has to say to us about being people of the Cross and I just want to remind you that if you can’t be here on Sunday mornings you can always listen to a podcast of the sermon at our website, www.anguschurch.org. The sermon is posted each week, typically on or before Monday.

I am reading the passages in the New Testament where Jesus and/or the writers talk about what the Cross is all about. This Sunday we are going to be looking at Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” As I have started to study this, the question keeps coming into my mind, “What is the message of the Cross?” I think Jesus answered that question over and over, again and again when He was here and in the lessons, messages and things that He shared with His apostles.

For example, in John 13 we have the account of Jesus sharing the Passover meal with His apostles and washing their feet. He says to them, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:13-17). I believe that this is “the message of the Cross;” serving. Have you ever really looked at those verses? I know you’ve read them, I know that I’ve preached on them, but look again at what Jesus said there. Let me give you a hint, a little clue, look at the 16th verse; “no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”

“If I, your Lord and Teacher . . .” He set the example for us and if He has done this, this MUST be a vitally important thing for us to grasp. In fact it is so very important that Jesus actually said this four different times. You’ll find it in Matthew 10:24 when Jesus sent the twelve to go and share concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. You’ll find it in Luke 6:40 when He’s talking about not judging, not condemning, about giving and about being an example. Of course we see it here when He has washed their feet and then once again in John’s gospel account, 15:20 where He talks to them about the world hating Him and of course hating us, about being persecuted and about obedience to His teaching.

Christ’s example to us is a selfless example. He gave Himself on behalf of the world. He tells us that we should do that as well.

I think there needs to be a lot more foot washing going on . . . maybe literally and most certainly in the sense of serving. I believe it should be a theme of ours, at Angus Church, in Capitan, Corona, Carrizozo, Hondo, Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs and beyond . . . Where is He asking you to serve? What is it that He wants to use you for to serve Him while you are serving others? “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

Saturday March 7 – We will be having a memorial service for Bill Hodges on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock here at the church. Please be in prayer for Linda and the family.

Sunday March 8 – We will have ONE COMBINED WORSHIP SERVICE this Sunday. This is Daylight Savings Time weekend and on Saturday March 7 you will be moving your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed. We will have our combined worship service at 10:30 a.m. in the gym and immediately following the service our teens will be providing a wonderful lunch that we will encourage everyone to stay and be part of.

Wednesday March 11 – We will have a membership class for anyone interested in knowing more about Angus Church. There’ll be more information to come but put this on your calendar, watch and listen for the info and maybe even plan on joining with us!

Saturday March 14 – We have rescheduled our workday here in the gym for Saturday March 14. If you can help we would appreciate so much you coming and joining us on this day as we work to expand the upper part of the gym. We’ll begin at 9:00 a.m. that morning and if you need more information talk with Donnie Glover or Rick Hall.

I had the privilege yesterday morning of representing the Lord, you and the HEAL Board (Help End Abuse for Life, the Nest Domestic Violence Shelter, of which I am a part) in Santa Fe. I had received a call about a month ago from the Speaker of the House’s office asking me if I would be able to open a session of the House of Representatives with prayer. So yesterday morning I was able to do that. I did not use that time as an opportunity to preach a sermon or delineate all of the things that I think they are doing wrong, I used that opportunity to pray for God’s blessing on them and on our Governor and to pray that God would help them to use their time and authority to be good stewards of the trust that the people of NM have given to them. My goal, more than anything, was to represent Christ. I was honored and privileged to be able to represent you and to represent the men and women of HEAL and the women and children whose lives we have the opportunity to touch through the Nest.

I believe that our first responsibility is to represent Christ. There is nothing in life, in the world, nothing at all that is as important as that is.

We have five weeks until Passover, five Sundays before we will celebrate Resurrection Day. I had been praying, seeking out what I needed to be studying and preparing to preach during this time and on or about Monday February 16 I got my answer. I received a link to an article that I read entitled, The Wake-up Call That is ISIS: Who in the Church is Answering?

Most if not all of you are aware that on Sunday February 15th there were 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians who were beheaded by ISIS. ISIS said that they were “chopping off the heads of those who have been carrying around the cross illusion in their heads.” ISIS said that they were going to behead these men because they are “people of the cross.”

We are to represent Christ. To represent Christ we must be people of the cross. For those of us who are reading this, I doubt there are any of us who have ever been in danger of anything at all more than perhaps a rude word or glance or perhaps being called a few choice words or maybe chewed out for expressing a word about Christ and our beliefs, or maybe, just maybe there are one or two of us who have either been threatened with the loss of our job or perhaps even have lost a job. But not one of us has ever been threatened with death or dismemberment because of our faith in Christ, or because we are “people of the cross.” I pray that we never do, but I believe this term, “people of the cross” bears much more looking into.

And so, for the next five Sundays leading up to Passover and Resurrection Day, I will be preaching on the subject “We are People of the Cross.” We will begin with 1 John 4 and I want to encourage you to read it before Sunday. I especially want to challenge you to seek God through prayer and study of His Word and find out just what the “people of the cross” should be like as we move through the Lenten Season and move toward the celebration of Passover and Resurrection.

I love you

Rick

Upcoming Activities

Today, Wednesday February 25 – NO ACTIVITIES HERE AT ANGUS CHURCH TONIGHT!

Friday & Saturday February 27-28 – Feed My Starving Children will have their third Mobile Pack here in Lincoln County. It will take place at Mt. Annies in Ruidoso. Last year in the two Mobile Pack’s here in the county, we packed and sent out over 200,000 meals! We hope you will be a part of this next Mobile Pack. You can go online today and sign up for a 2 hour shift for either Friday night February 27 or Saturday February 28 at the following website: www.fmsc.org/mobilepack/events Then go down to New Mexico and click on the link to Ruidoso, Coyote Howling February 27-28, 2015.

Saturday February 27 – The family of Eldon McNutt are joining together to celebrate Eldon’s 80th birthday! There will be a celebration here at the church from 1:00-3:00 p.m. They are asking that no presents be given but just to come and share in the celebration!

Sunday March 8 – We will have ONE COMBINED WORSHIP SERVICE on this date. This is Daylight Savings Time weekend and on Saturday March 7 you will be moving your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed. We will have our combined worship service at 10:30 a.m. in the gym and immediately following the service our teens will be providing a wonderful lunch that we will encourage everyone to stay and be part of.

Wednesday March 11 – We will have a membership class for anyone interested in knowing more about Angus Church. There’ll be more information to come but put this on your calendar, watch and listen for the info and maybe even plan on joining with us!